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Monday, August 31, 2009

A Tutorial On How To Make A Blog Banner Using Picasa Instead Of Something Fancy and Complicated Like Photoshop

(This post has been updated (2015) to reflect new changes in Blogger templates.)

(a few examples of past headers I've made)
I’ve been asked SO many times how I make my collage header (also called banner) images. I came upon this free and easy way to make your Blogger blog look more original and professional...I was desperate and didn't want to pay for a blog designer, and didn't have time to learn Photoshop...I also LOVE the design process of changing things up once a month.

You will want to choose the Simple template in the Design section of Blogger.

I promised a tutorial a long time ago, but knew I’d have to wait till the kids went back to school to spend the time to put on together. So here it goes.

First you need to download Picasa. It’s free and it should be easy to figure out how to get your pictures from your files into Picasa. Picasa is 'made' by Google and it won't make your computer blow up, or slow down, or act really weird...I swear. I really love using it…I’ve tried almost everything, and I think this is the best (and most self-explanatory) FREE editing system out there…especially if you are using Blogger. I am really not very computer savvy, and I don't have the time to learn Photoshop right now, try as a might. So I've squeezed every ounce of juice out of Picasa and have been very happy with the results.

Once you download Picasa, it is easy to figure out how to 'Import' (there's a button) your pictures from your files into Picasa. (You can do them a file at a time just to see if you like it.)

SO, let’s say you are in Picasa and you want to select 4 or 5 pictures (you will see, once you experiment, that a header can be made with a bunch of photos or just one and still look good).

You are going to select a photo and press the Collage button on the bottom of the window. (You can edit your pic first if you want....see the left hand side for tons of options.) In the Settings choices, you will choose Picture Pile because it allows you to work with a bunch of photos and manipulate them around in tons of ways. Click and hold on your photo and drag it to the corner (or wherever you want it). (By the way…you can see that you can select different colors for the background…experiment away…the possibilities are endless. Also under background options you can select "Use Image". You can download free scrapbook paper and import that into Picasa and use that as a background image if you want something besides a solid color. I did this from here. You will see in my September banner I have chosen a pattern, but the one I have for August I chose a white background.) See that little grey circle on the photo? That allows you to make the photo bigger or smaller and also allows you to manipulate the angle…crooked or straight, and allows you to move it everywhere. If you look in the Settings box, you can also chose to add a white border, or a Polaroid border, or create a shadow on your photo. Now you want to add more pictures. Click Clips right next to Settings. If you don’t see the photos you want to add go to Get More and it will take you back to your Picasa files. Click on your pictures there and then go back to the Collage file on top…see that button…next to Library. The picture you clicked on will show up in the little Collage window. Press the + button and it will be added. If you change your mind click on the photo you don’t want and press Remove. (You can also press View And Edit if you decide you want to use some of the cool editing features in Picasa to make your picture better-looking.) For this example, I am lining up my photos as straight and evenly spaced as I can get them. Remember, the possibilities are endless though...they don't have to be straight. I DO try to keep them on the top 1/2 of the collage..yes, it looks funny at first, but you want your collage to be long and skinny..you will crop that bottom half off later, after you add text. Just work with the top 1/2 when making a header.

When I’m set I press Create Collage. That brings me back to the main Picasa page. I find my created Collage in the Library file, and click on it. Now what comes up is the basic editing features…Basic Fixes. I find the Text button and press that…there you have TONS of choices of type. Play around and see what you like best…this is the “funnest” part…you can move the text where ever you want (even on top of the photos), make it whatever size you want (keep it on the page!), pick the opacity of the text, and determine the color you want it…it has the same grey circle that you manipulate around. Remember though…you want it rather long and skinny like a header normally looks so keep it up there in the 1/2 of the space provided. If you want to create a whole different grouping text, you can do that too. Just click the phrase you are finished with and move your cursor to a new spot…it doesn’t have to be the spot you want the type to show up, because remember…you can move it. Now you can choose the color, font and size of your new phrase. After you have your words down, click the Apply button and you will go back to the basic Edits. You are going to Crop your Collage so it looks like a header, not a huge photo, so press Crop. I make it really even on all sides and bring the crop right up under the writing. Press Apply when you are finished. You are going to Export (see that button on the bottom?) your collage to your photo files. When you press Export a window like this will show up. That little slider bar lets you choose the size.
I used 800 for my banner.

NOW, go to your blog and press the Layout tab. Press Edit on the header part (where your title is.) Choose your Image (your collage) from your Files where you sent it. Make sure you press the “Instead of title and description” button first, and make sure the Shrink To Fit button is NOT checked before you upload your picture.

Press Save. If the Collage seems too big for you, just resend your collage at the next smaller size when Exporting to your photo files from Picasa.

If the blog banner isn't centered, you will need to go into the Template, go to "Customize", find Advanced, scroll down to CSS, and copy and past this code to the CSS:

#header-inner img {margin: 0 auto;}

Press Enter (you can see your blog header move to the center after pressing Enter) and then Save.

Here's some great advice: Start a new blog...a sample, "fool around" blog, and just try stuff out on it. Google some tutorials...that's how I learned. In your Settings, you can choose to make that Sample Blog private, and hide it on your profile so no one sees it. Then play away! You can see how things look on your Sample Blog first, practice, and then try it out on your new blog.

Thanks, Sarah. I've been using Picasa since you recommended it and we like it. I learned something new today from you - that you can rearrange picture pile. I always wondered how you got your 5 photos straight across! Great info.

THANK YOU!!!! I have Picassa, but have only used it a few times. :) I've been trying to figure out how to save a photo so I can access it elsewhere in My Documents. Wonder how good their "Help" section is.... :)

Also, I found the easiest solution to getting rid of that danged border on Blogger. (Found it on one of those nerdy blogging blogs.) Go to Layout and then scroll down to border color. My background is white, so I selected white as my border color and it magically disappears! This may not work for people with fancy, patterned backgrounds, but worked like a charm for me.

Oh yes, Sarah - I can tell that you are not computer savvy in the least! Thanks for the advice! I love your banners! Your photos are always so beautiful. You really should consider turning it into a business!

holy cow! i think i was one of the people who asked...i pieced something together after spending HOURS trying to sort through all the info out there...I'll save this post for when I want to change out my pics!!! (cuz there's no way i actually remember what i did the first time. plus, i'm thinking i could improve mine TONS now that i actually have someone telling me smartly what to do!!!)

OMGOSH! I actually did it! I followed your directions to a "T" and it worked! This helped me tremendously! I feel like I have a new bloggie life!! You are a Rock Star! Seriously, I am so grateful! Thank you! You are amazing! Do you need some more accolades? Would you mind if I linked this tutorial on my blog?

okay, so you cleared up a lot of my few remaining questions about headers. i always used picnik, but the possiblities with picasa's collages is much greater. thanks! my idea was back-to-schoolish, too. check it out! and, thanks again!

Who knew it was that fast- I've been using MS Digital Image Pro 10 - it is fun to use but Picasa seems a WHOLE lot faster! Thanks :) I made the header up there in about 4 minutes - and it looks like it took me 4 minutes - LOL better one to come once I snap more photos!

Oh thank you thank you! I used your tutorial on making a banner and it turned out beautifully! You are a peach! I am NOT technical, but you made it possible, please check out my humble little blog and give me your feedback.My blog wants to be like your blog when it grows up! Thanks so much!!!Jodi Whiteheadhttp://thebarefootshutterbug.blogspot.com/

A friend of yours on Ravelry directed me to your blog and I'm so glad she did! Your explanation on how to make a header was just what I was looking for. I'm ready to download Picassa and make my own header on Blogger. Thank you very much!!

According to me Google picasa is a good image editing software and by using this software we can make a blog header picture but there are some effects you can only give in photoshop and other image editing software like coreldraw.

Oh btw, I just did collages for our beach house trip and it was so easy! Didn't quite realize I could create so many fun collages and post them. It is a great way to consolidate 200 plus pics and make it simple and cute!

OH MY GOD! THANKS SO MUCH, THIS TUTORIAL IS GOING TO PUT ME IN THE BEAUTIFUL BLOG LEAGUES! IM NOW ELEVATED, AND I NEVER KNEW THAT I COULD DO THIS MYSELF! I HAPPEN TO HAVE PICASA AND NOW I KNOW WHAT TO DO! INTERESTING THAT I JUST SPENT THE AFTERNOON UPLOADING MY PICTURES INTO MY PICASA ALBUM. THANKS, THANKS, THANKS!

That was so much easier than I thought it would be. Took me a little while, playing around, but I have a cute header now. I've so been wanting to use a different background picture, but I only had one that would work for the header. I'm hoping to change it seasonally, now that I know how easy it is. Thanks so much!!! Please do come see (when you have a chance.) :)

You great great lady! This post was super helpful! Giving it a try as I already love Picasa. Will let you know the results. I am also going to follow you as your blog is amazing....Thank you!Best Regards from the UK Deb

I imagine this comment is going to get lost in the sea of other comments, but this tutuorial is amazing! I'm still struggling a bit with figuring out how to do this (impatience has it's price) but love your idea of a practice blog! Thank you !Liz

I LOVE YOU!!! Thank you so much for this tutorial! I just finished mine and I love it! I did a fall theme so I will be changing it in a couple of months. I was seriously thinking I was going to have to pay to make over my blog. God bless you! {Feel free to link mine up.}

I've finally gotten around to walking through your tutorial. It was very clear and thorough so thank you! I've added my first header but after looking through other readers' examples, I need to get my creative juices flowing. I love Abbey's header, by the way!

Thanks so much for your tutorial! I'm home sick today and you provided the perfect low-energy activity for me to do so I didn't have to do laundry and bills :) You walked me through it so easily and wala! I love it!

I am so glad I stopped over here from Ann's (Holy Experience)! I have so enjoyed exploring your place. What a talented and beautiful lady you are! I have been playing around with this tutorial...so much fun! I have made my blog a little header, but I"m still playing. Thank you so much for sharing this. It really does make it much easier!

My friend Merle posted your blog on Facebook and I am so glad she did! I have been wondering how to do a header on my blog and this morning, thanks to your tutorial I did it! It took three tries but finally got what I wanted . Thank you so much. It is at poeticpumpkins.blogspot.com if you care to see.

Thank you sooooooooooo muuuuuuuuuuch. I had downloaded Picasa recently because I really like collages and playing with photos but do not have the budget for Photoshop type thingy but I can now use it in my header. You are a star. Thank you again. Be blessed.

Thanks so much for sharing this -- your instructions were AWESOME!! I, also, don't have time to master Photoshop or any other photo editing program. I've been using picasa for the last couple of years and clearly wasn't using it to it's potential! Thanks for shedding some light on ALL it can do! :)

I just found your blog today from today's creative blog and it's the most fun I've had in a while! (reading your blog that is) I was wondering if I could link this post to my sidebar under blogging 101 tips. It would be very helpful for many people! Thanks for brightening my day!

Thank you so much! I already had picasa but had no idea all the great stuff I could use it for. I am getting so much more use out of it now. I just did our family Christmas Card with it. And it's all free!!

Thanks again for sharing!! Did this immediately the first time you shared, forgot to save this post or the instructions anywhere, but just came back again, scrolled through all your posts until I got back to this one so I could refresh myself on the course. gonna save it this time, but so easy to do, just wanted to say thanks!!!

After downloading Picasa I had ago and after my son tweaked it a bit for me, I came up with this:www.crafting4greyhounds.blogspot.comIts not perfect but not bad for my first attempt and heaps better than it was. Thanks so much for the great tutorial.

I have admired your blog headers...and your photography...for awhile now. Thank you for taking the time to write such an easy-to-follow tutorial for us! I have had so much fun this evening creating several headers...one for my main blog, another for our lake house blog and one for the future! Now if I could only take photos like you do...then I'd be set!! Blessings!

I am a huge fan of picasa and have been reading your blog for quite a while, thank you so much for this. i paid for a blog design over a year ago but got tired of it after all this time so i finally tried this and it was SO easy! thanks so much i love my new spruced up blog!

hi, just wanna say thank you so much for this great tutorial, I'm going nuts how to make my own then I found your blog, thank you thank you hahaha, you're an angel, just finished my very first header,and I still wanna make more hahaha.take care=)

just tried it out! Thanks! this is great and super cute. also, thanks for your how to paint furniture tutorial. even things that seem so simple need instructions for girls like me! :) trying to talk my husband into letting us paint our dining room furniture!

Nice tutorial - this was so easy! I'm getting ready to start blogging, and thanks to your inspiration I've decided updating my banner regularly will be a great compliment to my blog plans. Thanks so much for sharing!

Jennifer over at Tatertots and Jello forwarded this tutorial to me and all I can say is thank you thank you thank you! I refer back to it quite often and although my blog is still a work in progress, I am certain it will look as sharp as yours does!

Thank you for this, I have not done it yet but will give it a try. Just another tip on the Nav bar. Just click on edit on your navbar and you can now make it TRANSPARENT! No more blue or black navbar's. And it will always match your background. Neat Huh?Sharon

Good post. I am a fellow diy blogger. I have recently been introduced to picnik and that has helped me in my quest for spicing up my blog as well. I started making picasa headers a few months ago. Check it out.Cute header, btw.

I've been using Picasa ... FOREVER ... but I didn't know that Picture Pile function could be used like that! I also avoided it because I didn't like how the photos overlapped ... now I am slapping my forehead for sure! Thanks :)

I DID IT TOO! Thank you so much. Your tutorial was excellent walking me through it. I came close to tears at one point, but that was because of my error and getting side-tracked from your advice. I am so excited - I made my own header! I also love the rest of your blog too!www.doodlebugdrama.blogspot.com

I was referred over to this post from Sneaky Momma and could just come through the screen and kiss you. I just replaced a fine collage, but I was aggravated that I couldn't change the font (other than what blogger provided). It's a tad rough, but a fun 1st start! Woo Hoo!

I have been thinking of re doing my-header for sometime but did not really get around to doing it. But when I saw Sneaky Momma's post referring your blog, I decided to make the change now.

But I have a little problem, my header is to the left, and I would like to have it centered but don't now, maybe you can check out my blog and make recommendations. Thanks.Thanks for posting this awesome tutorial!!!http://passforphoto.blogspot.com/

Thank you so much for this! I just made a header for my blog and I'm playing around with Picasa now! I had no idea Picasa could do so much - I was ready to pony up for Photoshop and now I don't have to!

WHEW! You've given me a workout and I think I've done it correctly. I couldn't get the white border removed though...it's taken me three hours to get this far and that a huge chunk of time. I can only imagine how long it took you. Thanks so much for the instructions and I've signed up for your updates. That's next on my "to learn" list...learning how to put in that little box so folks can sign up for updates.WHEW!

Thank you so much for explaining how to do this. Only and I both redid our Banners and are pleased how well they turned out. I just have to figure out how to move my banner over just a smidgen and it will be fine.

I used your tutorial today and was able to make a great header! Thank you so much for the easy instructions. I also have really enjoyed exploring your site for new ways to improve my blog-- Im a blogger newbie :)

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! I've been wanting to do this for so long but never could figure it out. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your tutorial on this! I did it! It's still a little wonky because I have to play with the width and get it just right but it's almost there! :) A million thanks from one very happy blogger.

I'm having lots and lots of trouble and want to pull my hair out! Could someone please come to my rescue? My crop and my text is not sticking when I upload my image onto blogger. And there is a HUGE white box. I had to just use the blogger way of adding my title to have something on there til i figure it out... www.coriberg.blogspot.com

Fantastic tutorial! So glad I found it and risked burning out a few brain cells to try it. I am definitely tech-challenged, so I'll be the first to admit that if I can do this, anyone can. And faster too, I'm sure! Please come see what you helped me make!

That you for this tutorial from the bottom of my heart. :) It was easy, awesome and I'm so very happy with the results. Please go take a look at my blog header now. I'm soooo thrilled, and its because of this generous tutorial you posted.http://mimitoriasdesigns.blogspot.com

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!! I found you through Sneaky Momma Blog Designs and found her through Cheryl at She Stamps! AWESOME!!I just redid my banner - and not too bad for not knowing what I wanted to use. Now I will put this in my favorites and come back to it time and time again. Thank you so much for helping novices like me. I hope to be able to pay it forward to someone else.Thanks again!!Maria

Thank you so much. This tutorial will pretty much change my life. I've been pulling my hair out with all of the other photo-editing software out there (you know, without taking the plunge on getting a Graphics Design degree, or, breaking down to purchase and learn Photoshop!!). This is a huge help!

thank you for taking the time to write this tutorial (and in plain English no less). I have now changed my header to something i like very much. AND i have downloaded and will continue to use picasa (you're right; it IS so much easier to master than photoshop and a lot quicker too for the kind of things i do).

Thank you so much!!! I used your tutorial (like a Bible) to make my Etsy banner. Granted, it took me about 5 hours but I did it myself. The best part is that it looks pretty much what I would have paid something to do for me. I can't believe it. I'm embarrassingly tech-challenged so I'm very proud of myself right now and I will sleep well tonight. Thanks again. You're the best.

Thank you so much for this tutorial... it helped to much! You are so talented! I just have one question - How can I make my header bigger? When I export it to a bigger size, it isn't centered when I upload it to the blog. Any ideas?

Your instructions were SO clear and easy. You are amazing! I had been trying to do a custom header for weeks! Thank you. I'm assuming this is the same process that others use when they do a group of photos (side-by-side) in their posts?

You are AWESOME!!! Thank you thank you thank you! I never knew Picasa could be such a great substitute for PhotoShop and be so easy, too. I'll be linking back to you for sure... for myself and for anyone who needs clear, easy instructions.

I've been trying to make a new header for my blog all afternoon. Your tutorial was very helpful, but I never could get the size right. I ended up using Paint.net along with the collage feature of Picassa. Thank you!!!

Thank you sooooo much for the tutorial! I actually did mine in photoshop but had no idea how to get it onto my blog without your help! I've read your blog for a couple years now but am just now getting mine going... Love your down to earth, tell it as it is style! Thanks for all the great info!http://gilliganchronicles.blogspot.com/

Don't know if you're still adding people's blogs but I did it too. I moved to blogspot and revamped thanks to your inspiration and since then it has made me want to write so much more because my blog now has a beautiful home - thankyou!!

Thank you so much for this tutorial!!! It was super easy to follow (and fun to read as is your blog!) & i'm not so computer savvy!! I can't wait to play around with this more! I also added a link to you into my new blog post about it. Any tips on how to make my header appear more clear on my blog? It looks a bit fuzzy & blurry when I imported to my blog.

for nearly 2 days I was working on this and finally got it down! Blogger is having a blurry issue so you have to upload your photo with photobucket first and direct link it up to your blog. Many Many Thanks!!!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your blog! I finally just started my own and I used your Picasa tutorial to create my banner. Thank you so much - I would have never figured this out on my own. The first post of yours that I ever read was the one about being crabby on the weekends and I could so relate! Sometimes I just want everyone to go back to work and school (where they belong) and let me have MY house back : ) ! Thanks for being such an inspiration!

When our first baby was placed in my arms I knew there was no place I wanted to be other than home with him every day. Twenty two years, and five more babies later, (six children, now ages 22-4), I still feel the same. I can’t imagine a more challenging, fulfilling, rewarding “job” than being a mom. It truly is a vocation, and I feel blessed beyond measure.